A solar module operates to convert energy from solar radiation into electricity, which is delivered to an external load to perform useful work. A solar module typically includes a set of photovoltaic (“PV”) cells, which can be connected in parallel, in series, or a combination thereof. The most common type of PV cell is a p-n junction device based on crystalline silicon. Other types of PV cells can be based on amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, germanium, organic materials, and Group III-V semiconductor materials, such as gallium arsenide.
During operation of an existing solar module, incident solar radiation penetrates below a surface of the PV cell and is absorbed within the PV cell. A depth at which the solar radiation penetrates below the surface can depend upon an absorption coefficient of the PV cell. In the case of a PV cell based on silicon, an absorption coefficient of silicon varies with wavelength of solar radiation. For example, for solar radiation at 900 nm, silicon has an absorption coefficient of about 100 cm−1, and the solar radiation can penetrate to a depth of about 100 μm. In contrast, for solar radiation at 450 nm, the absorption coefficient is greater at about 104 cm−1, and the solar radiation can penetrate to a depth of about 1 μm. At a particular depth within the PV cell, absorption of solar radiation produces charge carriers in the form of electron-hole pairs. Electrons exit the PV cell through one electrode, while holes exit the PV cell through another electrode. The net effect is a flow of an electric current through the PV cell driven by incident solar radiation. The inability to convert the total incident solar radiation to useful electrical energy represents a loss or inefficiency of the solar module.
Current solar modules typically suffer a number of technical limitations on the ability to efficiently convert incident solar radiation to useful electrical energy. One significant loss mechanism typically derives from a mismatch between an incident solar spectrum and an absorption spectrum of PV cells. In the case of a PV cell based on silicon, photons with energy greater than a bandgap energy of silicon can lead to the production of photo-excited electron-hole pairs with excess energy. Such excess energy is typically not converted into electrical energy but is rather typically lost as heat through hot charge carrier relaxation or thermalization. This heat can raise the temperature of the PV cell and, as result, can reduce the efficiency of the PV cell in terms of its ability to produce electron-hole pairs. In some instances, the efficiency of the PV cell can decrease by about 0.5 percent for every 1° C. rise in temperature. In conjunction with these thermalization losses, photons with energy less than the bandgap energy of silicon are typically not absorbed and, thus, typically do not contribute to the conversion into electrical energy. As a result, a small range of the incident solar spectrum near the bandgap energy of silicon can be efficiently converted into useful electrical energy.
Also, in accordance with a junction design of a PV cell, charge separation of electron-hole pairs is typically confined to a depletion region, which can be limited to a thickness of about 1 μm. Electron-hole pairs that are produced further than a diffusion or drift length from the depletion region typically do not charge separate and, thus, typically do not contribute to the conversion into electrical energy. The depletion region is typically positioned within the PV cell at a particular depth below a surface of the PV cell. The variation of the absorption coefficient of silicon across an incident solar spectrum can impose a compromise with respect to the depth and other characteristics of the depletion region that reduces the efficiency of the PV cell. For example, while a particular depth of the depletion region can be desirable for solar radiation at one wavelength, the same depth can be undesirable for solar radiation at a shorter wavelength. In particular, since the shorter wavelength solar radiation can penetrate below the surface to a lesser degree, electron-hole pairs that are produced can be too far from the depletion region to contribute to an electric current.
It is against this background that a need arose to develop the solar modules and related methods described herein.